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(meteorobs) Re: NWM2001Nov 17/18 Leonid rates Florida
DATE: November 17/18 2001 BEGIN: 704 UT END: 1101 UT
OBSERVER: Norman McLeod (MCLNO)
LOCATION: Long: 81o 30' West; Lat: 26o 30' North
City & State: Lehigh Acres, Florida, USA
Elevation: 6 metres
RECORDING METHOD: Tape Recorder after 1021 UT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
10 minutes of 40 louds, no sky obstructions, no breaks.
Total Leonids: 1020
Total Non-Leonids: 37
All F-factors 1.00 except the second period.
Period (UT) LEO +others
LM: 7.2
0704-0726 Teff 0.30 20 LEO 1 NTA (North Taurid) 1 Andromedid 4 SPO
(sporadic)
0726-0742 Teff 0.27 F1.33 14 LEO 1 STA (South Taurid) 4 SPO
40 loudy 0732-0742
LM: 7.3
0742-0746 Teff 0.07 7 LEO +2 SPO
0746-0751 Teff 0.08 7
0751-0801 Teff 0.17 14
5-minute periods
0801-0806 5 +1 STA (South Taurid) +1 SPO (sporadic)
0806-0811 10
0811-0816 10
0816-0821 6 +1 TAU (ambiguous N/S Taurid)
0821-0826 7
0826-0831 6 +1 NTA (North Taurid) +1 SPO (sporadic)
0831-0836 12
0836-0841 9 +3 SPO (sporadic)
0841-0846 13 +1 SPO (sporadic)
0846-0851 11 +1 NTA (North Taurid)
0851-0856 8
0856-0901 12
0901-0906 7
0906-0911 17
0911-0921 Teff 0.17 31 LEO +2 SPO (sporadic)
0921-0926 19
0926-0931 33 +1 SPO (sporadic)
0931-0936 24 +3 SPO (sporadic)
0936-0941 27 +1 STA (South Taurid)
0941-0946 42 +1 SPO (sporadic)
0946-0951 34
0951-0956 28
0956-1001 36 +1 SPO (sporadic)
1001-1006 43
1006-1011 42
1011-1016 52
1016-1021 56
1021-1024 Teff 0.05 23 LEO
1-minute periods:
1024-1025 9
1025-1026 12
1026-1027 16 +1 SPO
1027-1028 17
1028-1029 14 +1 SPO
1029-1030 11 +1 SPO
1030-1031 14
1031-1032 12
1032-1033 11
1033-1034 14
1034-1035 7
1035-1036 13
1036-1037 16
1037-1038 13
1038-1039 6
1039-1040 12
1040-1041 10
1041-1042 5
1042-1043 20
1043-1044 7
1044-1045 6
1045-1046 11
1046-1047 3 +1 SPO
end LM 7.3, no more LM's hereafter
1047-1048 10
1048-1049 8
1049-1050 7
1050-1051 3
1051-1052 6
1052-1053 9
1053-1054 6
1054-1101 20 (7 minutes)
3 casual Leonids seen before the start, and 6 more after the end.
Report template courtesy of Cathy Hall.
Looks like my initial impression of 20/min at the peak was a bit high. It
turned out to be about 14/min from 1025 to 1038. We both noticed a definite
dropoff in the last minutes before dawn interfered. There was a single
one-minute spike to 20 Leonids at 542 UT, but it was flanked by much lower
minutes of 5 and 7. The peak ZHR in sky LM7.3 here would be around 900.
Radiant elevation finished at about 75o so I wasn't losing much to that
situation. Dawn comes in very quickly at this latitude, so I don't attempt
LM's after it starts. Minute by minute the change is quite noticeable.
>From higher latitudes with more leisurely twilight, doing LM's would be more
worthwhile.
Timing of Leonid peaks has never been ideal at this longitude. 1966 peak was
after sunrise, 2000 predicted peak came half an hour early at already low
elevation, then 2001 predicted peak was half an hour late critically near
dawn. Next year is cutting it even closer. Might be well to consider a
westward trip to have another shot at a record, perhaps far western Texas.
Let 2002 go by, and there won't be another chance in my lifetime to see 1000
meteors in a single night. I don't want to count on any surprises.
So I did get a new one-night record. I am very happy to have passed 1000.
Top 4 nights of my life are :
2001 Nov 17/18 1057 total meteors
1985 Dec 12/13 628
1979 Dec 13/14 621
1966 Nov 16/17 591
Joan was seeing 8-9 Leonids/minute at the peak, and almost 750f my rates.
That was on the good side for her, usually around 600f mine. Her
corrected lump total for the night was 765 meteors in just under 4 hours.
Norman
Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society
Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com
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